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Encyclopedia > Prunus africana
Red Stinkwood

Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Subfamily: Prunoideae
Genus: Prunus
Species: P. africana
Binomial name
Prunus africana
(Hook f.) Kalkman

Prunus africana (Syn. Pygeum africanum Hook. f.; Pygeum, Iron Wood, (Red) Stinkwood, African Plum, African Prune, African Cherry, Bitter Almond; Amharic tikur inchet; Chagga Mkonde-konde; Kikuyu Muiri; Luganda Ntasesa; Xhosa uMkakase; Zulu Inyazangoma-elimnyama; Afrikaans Rooistinkhout) is an evergreen tree native to the montane regions of Sub-Saharan Africa and the Islands of Madagascar, Sao Tome, Fernando Po and Grand Comore at about 900-3400 m. of altitude. The mature tree is 10-25 m. high, open-branched and often pendulous in forest, shorter and with a round crown of 10-20 m. diameter in grassland. It requires a moist climate, 900-3400 mm annual rainfall, and is moderately frost-tolerant.[1][2][3][4][5][6] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 428 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2120 × 2966 pixel, file size: 852 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Dr Russell Sharp, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Plant (disambiguation). ... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of land plants. ... Magnoliopsida is the botanical name for a class of flowering plants. ... Families Barbeyaceae Cannabaceae (hemp family) Dirachmaceae Elaeagnaceae Moraceae (mulberry family) Rosaceae (rose family) Rhamnaceae (buckthorn family) Ulmaceae (elm family) Urticaceae (nettle family) For the Philippine municipality, see Rosales, Pangasinan. ... Global distribution of Rosaceae Subfamilies Rosoideae Spiraeoideae Maloideae Amygdaloideae or Prunoideae The Rosaceae or rose family is a large family of plants, with about 3,000-4,000 species in 100-120 genera. ... Genera Prunus Prinsepia Prunoideae, also called Amygdaloideae, is the subfamily containing the genera Prunus and Prinsepia. ... Species Prunus alabamensis Prunus alleghaniensis Prunus americana Prunus andersonii Prunus angustifolia Prunus armeniaca Prunus avium Prunus caroliniana Prunus cerasifera Prunus cerasus Prunus domestica Prunus dulcis Prunus emarginata Prunus fasciculata Prunus fremontii Prunus fruticosa Prunus geniculata Prunus glandulosa Prunus gracilis Prunus grayana Prunus havardii Prunus hortulana Prunus ilicifolia Prunus japonica Prunus... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Joseph Dalton Hooker Joseph Dalton Hooker Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, GCSI, OM, FRS, MD (June 30, 1817 – December 10, 1911) was an English botanist and traveller. ... Joseph Dalton Hooker Joseph Dalton Hooker Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, GCSI, OM, FRS, MD (June 30, 1817 – December 10, 1911) was an English botanist and traveller. ... Not to be confused with the Aramaic language. ... The Chagga (or Chaga) are the third largest ethnic group in Tanzania. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Luganda is a Bantu language and is spoken mainly in Uganda by the people of Buganda. ... The Xhosa (IPA ( )) people are speakers of Bantu languages living in south-east South Africa, and in the last two centuries throughout the southern and central-southern parts of the country. ... Languages Zulu Religions Christian, African Traditional Religion Related ethnic groups Bantu Nguni Basotho Xhosa Swazi Matabele Khoisan The Zulu (South African English and isiZulu: amaZulu) are a South African ethnic group of an estimated 17-22 million people who live mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. ... Look up Wiktionary:Swadesh lists for Afrikaans and Dutch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... Mount McKinley in Alaska has one of the largest visible base-to-summit elevation differences anywhere A mountain is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain in a limited area. ... A political map showing national divisions in relation to the ecological break (Sub-Saharan Africa in green) A geographical map of Africa, showing the ecological break that defines the sub-Saharan area Sub-Saharan Africa is the term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south... São Tomé, population 53,300 (in 2003), is the capital of São Tomé and Príncipe. ... Bioko is an island off the west coast of Africa in the Gulf of Guinea, formerly called Fernando Po or Fernando Poo. ... Map of Grande Comore. ...


The bark is black to brown, corrugated or fissured and scaly, fissuring in a characteristic rectangular pattern. The leaves are alternate, simple, long (8-20 cm.), elliptic, bluntly or acutely pointed, glabrous and dark green above, pale green below, with mildly serrate margins. A central vein is depressed on top, prominent on the bottom. The 2-cm petiole is pink or red. The flowers are androgynous, 10-20 stamens, insect-pollinated, 3-8 cm., greenish white or buff, and are distributed in 70-mm axillary racemes. The plant flowers October through May. The fruit is red to brown, 7-13 mm., wider than long, two-lobed with a seed in each lobe. It grows in bunches ripening September through November, several months after pollination. Look up foliage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In Botany, glabrous is used to describe something as smooth or having no hair or similar growth (see indumentum). ... Leaf of Dog Rose (Rosa canina), showing the petiole and two leafy stipules In botany, the petiole is the small stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. ... For other uses, see Flower (disambiguation). ... Stamens of the Amaryllis with prominent anthers carrying pollen Insects, while collecting nectar, unintentionally transfer pollen from one flower to another, bringing about pollination The stamen (from Latin stamen meaning thread of the warp) is the male organ of a flower. ... Axillary vein - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... This inflorescence of the terrestrial orchid Spathoglottis plicata is a typical raceme. ... For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ...

Contents

Ecology

Extrafloral nectaries along the leaf margin.
Extrafloral nectaries along the leaf margin.

As with other members of the Prunus genus, Prunus africana possesses extrafloral nectaries to provide anti-herbivore insects with a nutrient source in return for protecting the foliage. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 494 pixelsFull resolution (2669 × 1647 pixel, file size: 532 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Extrafloral nectaries on the leaf margin of Prunus africana Dr Russell Sharp Lancaster Environment Centre Lancaster University Lancaster Great Britain Permission is granted to copy... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 494 pixelsFull resolution (2669 × 1647 pixel, file size: 532 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Extrafloral nectaries on the leaf margin of Prunus africana Dr Russell Sharp Lancaster Environment Centre Lancaster University Lancaster Great Britain Permission is granted to copy... Species Prunus alabamensis Prunus alleghaniensis Prunus americana Prunus andersonii Prunus angustifolia Prunus armeniaca Prunus avium Prunus caroliniana Prunus cerasifera Prunus cerasus Prunus domestica Prunus dulcis Prunus emarginata Prunus fasciculata Prunus fremontii Prunus fruticosa Prunus geniculata Prunus glandulosa Prunus gracilis Prunus grayana Prunus havardii Prunus hortulana Prunus ilicifolia Prunus japonica Prunus...


The fruit is too bitter to be of interest to man; however, it is a favored food supply for many animals, who spread the seeds. Dian Fossey reports of the Mountain Gorilla:[7] "The northwestern slopes of Visoke offered several ridges of Pygeum africanum .... The fruits of this tree are highly favored by gorillas." East African Mammals reports that stands of Pygeum are the habitat of the rare Carruther's Mountain Squirrel and asserts that "This forest type tends to have a rather broken canopy with many trees smothered in climbers and dense tangles of undergrowth."[8] Dian Fossey (January 16, 1932 – December 27, 1985) was an American Zoologist who completed an extended study of several gorilla groups. ... Trinomial name Gorilla berengei berengei Matschie, 1914 The Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei[1]) is one of two subspecies of Eastern Gorillas. ... Binomial name Thomas, 1906 The Carruthers Mountain Squirrel (Funisciurus carruthersi) is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. ...


Uses

Prunus africana with stripped bark.
Prunus africana with stripped bark.

Pygeum, an herbal remedy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), is prepared from the bark of Prunus africana. The collection of mature bark for this purpose has resulted in the species becoming endangered, due to some harvesters (spurred on by the high price per Kilo of Bark) removing too much of the bark in an unsustainable manner. In the 1990s it was estimated that 35,000 debarked trees were being processed annually. The growing demand for the bark has led to the cultivation of the tree for its medicinal uses.[4] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 400 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2304 × 3456 pixel, file size: 4. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 400 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2304 × 3456 pixel, file size: 4. ... Pygeum (or Prunus africanum, or Pygeum africanum, or African plum) is a plant used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. ... For other uses of the acronym BPH, see BPH (disambiguation). ...


The timber is a hardwood employed in the manufacture of axe and hoe handles, utensils, wagons, floors and furniture. The wood is tough, heavy, straight-grained and pink, with a pungent bitter-almond smell when first cut, turning mahogony and odorless later.[5] It finds use also as firewood.


Discovery and classification

The name of the remedy, Pygeum, comes from the name of the plant, which was discovered to botany by Gustav Mann during his now famous first European exploration of the Cameroon Range, with Richard Francis Burton and Alfred Saker, in 1861. A letter from Mann to the Linnean Society of London, read by William Jackson Hooker, then Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, on June 5, 1862, describes the naming of the peaks of the Cameroon Range (such as Mount Victoria, later Mount Cameroon[9]) and the collection of specimens there.[10] The latter were shipped back to Kew for classification, which was duly performed by Hooker and his son, Joseph Dalton Hooker, who had the responsibility of publishing them, as William died in 1865. Pygeum (or Prunus africanum, or Pygeum africanum, or African plum) is a plant used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. ... Dr. Gustav Mann was a German botanist who led expeditions in West Africa and was also gardener at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ... The Cameroon line is a geologic fault that runs northeast from the Atlantic Ocean into Cameroon. ... For other persons named Richard Burton, see Richard Burton (disambiguation). ... Monument to Alfred Saker in Limbé Alfred Saker (b. ... The Linnean Society of London is the worlds premier society for the study and dissemination of taxonomy. ... Sir William Jackson Hooker (July 6, 1785 - August 12, 1865) was an English botanist. ... “Kew Gardens” redirects here. ... Joseph Dalton Hooker Joseph Dalton Hooker Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, GCSI, OM, FRS, MD (June 30, 1817 – December 10, 1911) was an English botanist and traveller. ...


When the publication came out[11] the Hookers had named the plant Pygeum africanum, followed by the designation "n. sp.", an abbreviation for nova species. The habitat is listed as "Cameroons Mountains, alt. 7000-7500 feet", which was above the tropical forest and in the alpine grasslands. Hooker notes that another specimen had been "gathered in tropical Eastern Africa" at 3000 feet by Dr. Kirk on an expedition of David Livingstone. David Livingstone (19 March 1813 – 4 May 1873) was a Scottish Presbyterian pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and explorer in central Africa. ...


The first publication of the synonym in 1864 had been preceded by publication of the bare name in 1863 in a book by Richard Francis Burton.[12] Evidently Hooker had already made the contents of J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot. 7 for 1864 available to some, as Burton mentions the volume and Mann's letter in 1863.[13] For other persons named Richard Burton, see Richard Burton (disambiguation). ...


Hooker gives scant hint of why he chose Pygeum; however, what he does say indicates it was common knowledge among botanists. Kirk's specimen fruit was "a much depressed sphere." By this he undoubtedly meant to reference Joseph Gaertner's genus of Pygeum, Pygeum Gaertn.[14], which innovates Pygeum[15] from a Greek word, πυγή, "rump, buttock", because the two lobes of the fruit resemble the human gluteus maximus muscles.[16] Joseph Gaertner (1732-1791; in German Joseph Gärtner) was a German botanist. ... The gluteus maximus is the largest of the gluteus muscles which are located in the buttock. ...


In 1965 Cornelis Kalkman moved Pygeum to Prunus and this classification has the authority for now.[17] However, a recent cladistic study notes of Pygeum: "its relationships to Prunus remain to be tested by molecular cladistics."[18]


Palaeobotanic evidence

A 1994/1995 study published in 1997 by Marchant and Taylor did a pollen analysis on and radiocarbon dated two core samples from montane Mubindi Swamp in Uganda.[19] The swamp is a catchment at 2100 m. altitude between mountain ridges. It is a "moist lower montane forest" in Bwindi Forest National Park. The investigators found that montane Prunus, represented by currently growing Prunus africana, has been in the catchment continuously since their Pollen Zone MB6.1, dated approximately 43000-33000 ybp. Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring isotope carbon-14 (14C) to determine the age of carbonaceous materials up to about 60,000 years. ... Mountain Gorrilas in Bwindis impenetrable forest The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in southwestern Uganda in East Africa. ...


References

Wikispecies has information related to:
Wikispecies has information related to:
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
  1. ^ U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Prunus africana (Hook. f.) Kalkman (html). Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) Taxonomy for Plants.
  2. ^ U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Pygeum africanum Hook. f. (html). Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) Taxonomy for Plants.
  3. ^ Dharani, Najma (2002). Field Guide to Common Trees and Shrubs of East Africa. New Holland, page 150.  Previewable Google Books.
  4. ^ a b Cunningham, A.B.; Mbenkum, F.T. (May 1993). Sustainability of harvesting Prunus africana bark in Cameroon: A medicinal plant in international trade (pdf). People and Plants working papers. Division of Ecological Sciences, UNESCO.
  5. ^ a b World Health Organization, Inc. NetLibrary (2002). WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants: Volume 2. Geneva: World Health Organization, page 246. ISBN 9241545372.  Previewable Google Books.
  6. ^ Nonjinge, Siyabulela (October 2006). Prunus africana (Hook. f.) Kalkman (html). PlantZAfrica.com. South African National Biodiversity Institute.
  7. ^ Fossey, Dian (2000). Gorillas in the Mist. Houghton Mifflin Books, page 146. ISBN 061808360X. 
  8. ^ Kingdon, Jonathan (1984). East African Mammals: an Atlas of Evolution in Africa: Volume IIB. University of Chicago Press, page 389. ISBN 0226437183. 
  9. ^ The British names did not survive the transfer of Cameroon to Germany in 1884 and now are nearly unknown.
  10. ^ Hooker, Sir W.J. (1864). "Letter from Mr. G. Mann, Government Botanist, describing his Expedition to the Cameroon Mountains". Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society: Botany VII: pages 1-13. 
  11. ^ Hooker, J.D. (1864). "On the Plants of the Temperate Regions of the Cameroons Mountains and Islands in the Bight of Benin; collected by Mr. Gustav Mann, Government Botanist". Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society: Botany VII: pages 191-192.  The article occupies pages 171-240. The botanical abbreviation for this publication is J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot.
  12. ^ Hooker, J.D. (1863), "Enumeration of the Mountain Flowering Plants and Ferns Collected by M. Gustav Mann, Government Botanist, during his various ascents of the Cameroons Mountains, of Clarence Peak, Fernando Po, and of the Peak of San thomé", Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains: An Exploration: Appendix III, London: Tonsley Brothers, pp. 270-277
  13. ^ Page 47, first note.
  14. ^ U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Pygeum Gaertn. (html). Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) Taxonomy for Plants.
  15. ^ See under De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum. The edition is the 1788.
  16. ^ Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms: Volume III M-Q. CRC Press. ISBN 0849326737.  Previewable Google Books.
  17. ^ Kalkman, Cornelis. "The Old World Species of Prunus subg. Laurocerasus including those formerly referred to as Pygeum". Blumea 13: 1-115.  The specification is Blumea 13:33.
  18. ^ Bortiri, Esteban; Oh, Sang-Hun; Gao, Fang-You; Potter, Dan (2002). "The Phylogenetic Utility Of Nucleotide Sequences Of SORBITOL 6-PHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE In Prunus (Rosaceae)". American Journal of Botany 89 (11): 1697–1708. 
  19. ^ Marchant, Robert; Taylor, David (1997). "Late Pleistocene and Holocene History at Mubwindi Swamp, Southwest Uganda". Quaternary Research 47: 316–328. 

Image File history File links Wikispecies-logo. ... Wikispecies is a wiki-based online project supported by the Wikimedia Foundation that aims to create a comprehensive free content catalogue of all species (including animalia, plantae, fungi, bacteria, archaea, and protista). ... Image File history File links Wikispecies-logo. ... Wikispecies is a wiki-based online project supported by the Wikimedia Foundation that aims to create a comprehensive free content catalogue of all species (including animalia, plantae, fungi, bacteria, archaea, and protista). ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Dian Fossey (January 16, 1932 – December 27, 1985) was an American Zoologist who completed an extended study of several gorilla groups. ... Sir William Jackson Hooker (July 6, 1785 - August 12, 1865) was an English botanist. ... Joseph Dalton Hooker Joseph Dalton Hooker Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, GCSI, OM, FRS, MD (June 30, 1817 – December 10, 1911) was an English botanist and traveller. ... Joseph Dalton Hooker Joseph Dalton Hooker Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, GCSI, OM, FRS, MD (June 30, 1817 – December 10, 1911) was an English botanist and traveller. ... Frontispiece of De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum, also known by its standard botanical abbreviation Fruct. ...

Bibliography

  • Hall, J.B.; Sinclair, Fergus L; O'Brien, Eileen M. (2000). Prunus Africana - A Monograph. Bangor: University of Wales. ISBN 1842200488. 

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